No accident: How Real Madrid became the first super club
Real Madrid and the UEFA Champions League are indelibly linked and always will be. Twelve times winners of the competition – in its various guises – Re…
Tag: History
The last Magyars – Hungary’s 1960s revival
When Hungary looked as though they were about to rule the football world, the country had a revolution and the team dubbed the best on the planet all…
The Alfredo Di Stéfano Affair
On the night of August 24th, 1963, the great Alfredo Di Stéfano of Real Madrid was kidnapped at gunpoint by the Venezuelan revolutionary group Armed Fo…
When the heirs of the Magnificent Magyars met the Samba Boys
Over the years, especially since the Second World War, international football has seen a number of teams rise to prominence, and then be swept away by …
Sibling Rivalry, part 14: The legacies of Socrates and Rai
We’re reaching the end of our Sibling Rivalry series with a look back at two brothers with World Cup glory and glorious failure at the heart of their s…
Sibling Rivalry, part 12: The Charlton brothers – triumph and toxicity
They shared the greatest day in English football history. They even shared a bed whilst growing up. But for Jack and Bobby Charlton, their relationship…
Sibling Rivalry, part 10: The Ferdinands – solid as a rock
Competitive both on and off the pitch but nonetheless faithful to each other, Rio and Anton Ferdinand were both siblings and rivals, as Danny Lewis exp…
Sibling Rivalry, part 9: The Springetts – a tale of two goalies
Margaret Brecknell recalls the story of two West London-born brothers whose careers bore a striking resemblance to one another’s. On the face of it,…
Sibling Rivalry, part 6: The Baresi brothers – the great and the good
Matt Evans examines the careers of the Baresi brothers, who encapsulated the rivalry in Milanese football with the younger sibling going on to become o…
Sibling Rivalry, part 5: The Knowles brothers – God’s footballers
In part 5 of the ‘Sibling Rivalry’ series Paul McParlan recalls the incredible story of Cyril and Peter Knowles, two outstanding footballers who betwee…